Copper Power Dosing Not Giving 2.5ppm HELP

[RMS18]

I'm at a loss... I have been qting my fish in copper for 8 days so far since hitting 2.5ppm on my Hanna HR Copper.

I did my first w/c yesterday and when adding copper to the new sw to be added I followed the instructions on the back 1 ounce per 20 gallons... Or 1.4786ml per gallon. However this gives me 2.06ppm per Hanna.

What is going on? Since hitting 2.5 on the Hanna I lost a Bartlet Anthia. 5 wrasses doing ok, ccb, foxface, Tang and squareback all doing ok outside of stress from their new homes. Eating is ok, definitely not compared how much they used to eat in DT.

The anthia I lost did not show visible signs of ich, other fish did.

Both boxes of my reagents are from same lot number.

I have used Prime in the water to help with ammonia.

Any ideas? Is my Hanna checker wrong? If so then I may be treating at 3ppm of copper.

 

[Big G]

Did you measure the actual capacity of the tank, including filter? Most are not the size they say they are. Trust the Hanna.
2.0 ppm is plenty.

 

[RMS18]

Did you measure the actual capacity of the tank, including filter? Most are not the size they say they are. Trust the Hanna.
2.0 ppm is plenty.

I measured out a gallon of water to be exact, added the 1.4786, mixed it for an hour and it tested at 2.06. I tested it 3 times btw.

Copper power is brand new expires in 2025.

And Hanna reagents are brand new from BRS.

I am just concerned that I might be treating at 3ppm rather than 2.5.

I guess what I'm asking is if someone can confirm for sure that 1.4786 mixed into 1 exact gallon of saltwater at 1.025 at 78° gives 2.5 PPM or 2.06 PPM?

As far as the tanks themselves, I added a bit every day over 5 days until I hit 2.5ppm. I did record the total amount of MLS per tank. They were all almost in line with each other outside some being 1-3 ml more than another. But some have larger filters than others.

 

[Big G]

Well, heck. A couple of years ago we had an issue with Coppersafe varying in strength from bottle to bottle. Could be you are having the same issue with Copper Power.

Here's @HotRocks posting on the dosing strengths he tested awhile back.

Ratios for Dosing Copper Power

I have recently been getting a few requests for how to adjust dosing with all of my research on the hanna checker and copper power being used together. Figured I would throw this up as a point of reference. For anyone using Copper Power: Bottle concentration will bring you to a Cu level of...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[RMS18]

Well, heck. A couple of years ago we had an issue with Coppersafe varying in strength from bottle to bottle. Could be you are having the same issue with Copper Power.

Here's @HotRocks posting on the dosing strengths he tested awhile back.

Ratios for Dosing Copper Power

I have recently been getting a few requests for how to adjust dosing with all of my research on the hanna checker and copper power being used together. Figured I would throw this up as a point of reference. For anyone using Copper Power: Bottle concentration will bring you to a Cu level of...

www.reef2reef.com

Thank you. I did see his post yesterday. His numbers per gallon match to what in dosing. Just getting a different ppm reading. My LFS is closed due to shelter in place in NJ. So I'm in able to get my hands on another Hanna checker.

 

[Bryknicks]

I had the same thing happen and I went off the Hanna checker to keep it stable. Don't know if it was the batch or their measurements are off. I finished treatment with no issues on 4 fish.

 

[Big G]

Do you have a Red Sea, Salifert or equivalent copper color matching test kit?

 

[Big G]

I had the same thing happen and I went off the Hanna checker to keep it stable. Don't know if it was the batch or their measurements are off. I finished treatment with no issues on 4 fish.

So in your case the reagents were dated OK too? How about the Copper Power and it's expiration date? How long ago did you do your dosing? Were your test numbers higher or lower than you expected. Sorry for all the questions.

 

[Bryknicks]

I used to have an API copper kit but it wasn't reliable or accurate. Yes it was a brand new checker with regents good for two years or so. I did this QT process about 4 months ago. The test numbers were lower than expected so I ended up dosing more copper power to bring it up to the 2.0-2.5 level I wanted.

 

[RMS18]

Do you have a Red Sea, Salifert or equivalent copper color matching test kit?

I have a salifert on its way, but with delays it will not be here until the 31st.

 

[RMS18]

I used to have an API copper kit but it wasn't reliable or accurate. Yes it was a brand new checker with regents good for two years or so. I did this QT process about 4 months ago. The test numbers were lower than expected so I ended up dosing more copper power to bring it up to the 2.0-2.5 level I wanted.

Well that is assuring that hopefully the copper power is off and the Hanna is correct.

 

[Shirak]

Well that is assuring that hopefully the copper power is off and the Hanna is correct.

I am currently running a QT on recent bottle of copper power and finding the dosage a little off. I was coming up a little short on the ppm level and had to increase the amount slightly. Also using the Hanna to keep an eye on it. I calculated the amount to hit 2.0ppm and Hanna was telling me 1.9ppm

 

[Big G]

I am currently running a QT on recent bottle of copper power and finding the dosage a little off. I was coming up a little short on the ppm level and had to increase the amount slightly. Also using the Hanna to keep an eye on it. I calculated the amount to hit 2.0ppm and Hanna was telling me 1.9ppm

Yours is almost within the +- .05 margin of error.

 

[Skynyrd Fish]

I’d say your good. I used copper power a year ago at 1.79. Have we changed the dose? I had velvet worked good. Could the prime be affecting the number?

 

[Big G]

I’d say your good. I used copper power a year ago at 1.79. Have we changed the dose? I had velvet worked good. Could the prime be affecting the number?

Yes, things have changed a bit. Here's a thread with more info:

BAD NEWS - Velvet Strain Survives 1.75 PPM Copper!

Breaking News: We believe we have discovered at least one strain of velvet that survives 1.75 PPM copper, we recommend increasing to 2.0PPM to eradicate it. @HotRocks and I have quarantined hundreds of fish over the past year and we've unfortunately learned a lot of hard lessons we can pass to...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[Shirak]

Yours is almost within the +- .05 margin of error.

True! I check the level when I mix up new water just in case. Could be my slightly less than exact measurements on water volume in the bucket too. I have my bucket marked but it's not perfect.. and the floor isn't perfectly level.. and with fractions of a ml on the dosing syringe a tiny bit of difference can make a noticeable difference in the final ppm measurement. As long as I am around 2.0 it's good! I am needing to go slightly over my original calculation on a regular basis though so maybe the batch of copper power is a little weaker?.. more likely my volume line on the bucket is off by a tiny bit though lol


Currently have 3 green chromis, a six line wrasse, and a small yellow tang in QT. Letting the DT go fallow too.

Scooter blenny in separate tank being treated for malaria also lol

 

[Wildreefs]

I can also attest that the dosing guidelines don’t “work” anymore. Dosed a measured 20 gallons of water with appropriate amount of copper powe, and was 10-15 percent lower than what it should have been.

i think the copper power has diluted some from the manufacture, thusrequiring more to get there

2 years ago, this was not the case

 

[Big G]

I can also attest that the dosing guidelines don’t “work” anymore. Dosed a measured 20 gallons of water with appropriate amount of copper powe, and was 10-15 percent lower than what it should have been.

i think the copper power has diluted some from the manufacture, thusrequiring more to get there

2 years ago, this was not the case

Thanks for the info. Pretty much confirms our suspicions.

 

[RMS18]

After using another test kit and following the directions, again I am getting 2.0ppm following copper powers directions.